The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chose Bacolod City in Western Visayas as the new host city of this year’s Batang Pinoy National Finals on November 19-23.
Batang Pinoy is organized by the PSC, a brainchild of then-PSC commissioner and incumbent Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella.
The competition was pulled out of original host Zamboanga City due to the ongoing conflict between government forces and rebels of the Moro National Liberation Front.
Current commissioner Jolly Gomez said the commission moved the games in consideration of the situation in Zamboanga and to address safety and security concerns.
“The track oval is also being used as evacuation center and it will take funds and manpower to put it back to standard,” he said.
He added, “”We also responded to the concerns of many parents and officials from other cities with regards to security and safety.”
Gomez did not rule out the possibility of letting Zamboanga host PSC games at another time.
“This, however, does not mean we’re closing the doors on Zamboanga (in hosting future PSC sports programs),” he said.
Gomez said Bacolod has proven its ability to host major sporting events, and is more accessible to athletes due to its location in the region.
Bacolod has previously hosted Batang Pinoy when Puentevella was still commissioner in 1998 and 2001.
The city was also host to some events of the 2005 South East Asian Games.
Puentevella urged athletes from his city to win medals in the Visayas leg because, “if they can, they have another chance and if they win they will perform before their classmates, teachers and province-mates.”
Batang Pinoy is a national youth sporting competition for children ages 15 and below, which allows out-of-school youth to participate.
The games is held by the PSC in cooperation with the Department of Education, the Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Leagues of Provinces, Cities, Municipalities and Barangays.
The event is a major scouting ground for potential Philippine delegates to the Youth Olympic Games.
(with reports from philstar.com and ndb-online.com)